Navigate:

August 19, 2009

Categories:

The White House may have thought that the controversy ended this week when it disabled its electronic tip box, but at least one GOP senator is keeping it alive.

In a letter to President Barack Obama Wednesday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) says the decision to disable the e-tip box — flag@whitehouse.gov to monitor "fishy" claims about health care — only raises more questions. Cornyn says he wants the White House to eliminate all the data it received in the 13 days the program was in effect and wants to know whether any information has been shared with the Democratic National Committee.

Democrats say that Cornyn — the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — is manufacturing a controversy to score political points. And the White House has said it wasn't collecting any names and that the program was strictly designed to clear up misinformation amid the roiling health care debate.

Cornyn's letter after the jump.

— Manu Raju

President Obama,

I was pleased to learn yesterday that the White House has taken down the flag@whitehouse.gov email address. As I explained in my August 5 letter to you, encouraging citizens to report so-called “fishy” emails and casual conversations to the White House raises grave concerns. This White House program could chill free speech and raise the specter of a data collection program.

While I am pleased that the program has apparently been dismantled, I remain concerned about the information that was collected during the 13 days that this program was in effect. Unless actions have been taken to purge the data, the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens who had their speech reported are still accessible from one or more White House computers. No American knows for certain whether his or her personally identifiable information or speech are included in this data, nor how the data sent to the flag@whitehouse.gov account will be used. I therefore renew the questions from my earlier letter: What protocols is the White House following to purge the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who have been reported to have engaged in “fishy” speech?; and How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who have been reported to have engaged in “fishy” speech?

Based on new reports, I have an additional question. There have been allegations that emails sent to the flag@whitehouse.gov email address have been shared with the Democratic National Committee and other third-party groups outside of the administration. Have any of the contents or the information from email received at flag@whitehouse.gov been shared with the DNC or any other outside group?

I am also concerned that, even after the decision to dismantle it, various White House spokesmen continue to defend the flag@whitehouse.gov program. When asked yesterday whether the program was a good idea, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responded “Yes, still is.” On Monday, August 17, White House Director of New Media Macon Phillips belittled criticism of the program as an “ironic development,” “fear-mongering,” and “online rumors that are the tactics of choice for the defenders of the status quo.”

I am not alone in having concerns about this program. The American Civil Liberties Union, hardly a right-wing “defender of the status quo,” called the program “a bad idea that could send a troublesome message.” The ACLU added: “critics of the administration’s health care proposal should not have to fear that their names will end up in some government database that could be used to chill their right to free speech.” I agree. This unprecedented program to monitor private emails and casual conversations is inconsistent with America’s tradition of free speech and public discourse. The program should not be defended by your White House, and I would appreciate your commitment that your administration will not engage in any similar program in the future.

Reader Comments (42)

Pages

Yeah, and could we have a Special Counsel to investigate the Bush/Cheney IRaq war Lie and Sell? Could we have someone investigate the illegal torture methods used in Iraq under the same regime? Now, you Pubiethugs want a Special Counsel, where have you guys been for the last eight years!!!?????

The Obama administration has clearly broken the law, with this illegal collection of email and private data. They need to do the right thing and appoint a special prosecutor to look into whether laws were in fact broken. It would assuage Americans fears that Big Brother White House is watching them, and would help promote the President's call for openness. It is the right thing to do.

First of all why even try? Cornyn is not sincere. He is trying to make a political point with a non-issue. It is like a prostitute being shocked by someone holding hands. Cornyn is okay with illegal espionage of citizens on a massive scale, but God forbid the White House respond to emails. What a joke. How does he think he responds when people send him questions which I have and then am subsequently bombarded with GOP solicitations. Does the hypocrisy ever stop with these people? Have they no shame at all?

Cornyn as another C Street Boy. He thinks God only wants the rich to have health care.
Let this be a lesson for Obama NEVER to give in to these people, but always stand your ground. They have already accused him of setting up a Nazi-style euthanasia program and scared half of the public to death.
To my mind, that is a signal from Murdoch, Limberger, Palin and the rest that they are not going to work with Obama no matter what he says or does. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not.

Thank you, Senatory Cornyn, for your leadership to keep the pressure on a tyrannical administration, the likes of which we have never seen.
They think they're above the law, can trash the Constitution, abuse and demonize the law-abiding, tax-paying citizens of this country who pay the politicians' bills, obfuscate, parse words (a la Bubba), deny the truth and make us feel as if we're imagining things - without anyone coming after them and holding them accountable and responsible.
If we don't put up the roadblocks now, there's no telling how fast this country will be turned into a Socialist country, while we're still trying to read the thousand page bills and the obamas go on their continuous worldwide vacations.
Hooray for Senator Cornyn! Thank you for representing your constituents in a responsible manner.

As soon as we are done investigating the good senators involvement in the bush era crimes against americans and humanity, he gets out of prison, gets reelected to the senate then I think we could start listening to him. What I would rather see is us build a wall around the whole white trash state he represents.

Mary....Do you beleve what you are saying....???? If so I worry about you....How you get from looking into Conservative nut job lies to your blather is.....Well wow is the word...Advise....Please move to Texas so we can make sure you are inside that wall around Texas...

ooh socialism. don't really know what that is but it sounds so scarey. I better go buy a gun. Would rather just send my money to the insurance companies. I don't even care if my kids don't get treated as long as they are not socialists. Waaaa I want my country back. Waaaaa give me my meds please.

See....All I want to is build a perfectly good wall around a state that by all accounts does not want to be in the united states.....And all the bumpkins can do is call me an idiot...... Thus the reason for the wall in the first place...

Ben.......Report report....There is differance between stating facts and calling names....I used "Conservative nut job" Yep that is fact... most of you want to see things that are not there and usually when a doctor gets a patient like that they are "Nut Jobs"......I used "Bumpkins"..... yet another fact describing the folks who know nothing other then the rear end of the barn and lack the cognitive skills to think about anything more complex then what they hear from.....here it is again "Conservative nut job" Radio.....On the whole am I better then anyone else???....I dont think so but I am the one had the great idea about the wall....You have admit that is pretty impresive.....

DEB:
Learn how to speak and write the English language: "advise" - were you meaning "advice"?
It's not wise to disparage Texas, a state that does more for the country than most states. Do I hear "energy capital"?

GO DEB!! Please state the truth, not to sound harsh, but there is a reason the GOP owns the South, people arent mad at healthcare really, just the man OBama, and not because of his ideas, when you have people standing up and saying "GET YOUR GOVERNMENT HANDS OFF MY MEDICARE!", that says it all! There are already "socialist" programs that have been created and used by some of the slack-jawed yokels of the south, its embarrassing to call some of these RIGHT WING nutjobs Americans.

If the obama administration didn't have a sinister and suspicious agenda, they wouldn't have stooped so low and now having to cover their illegal tracks. Amateur Hour at the White House is hurting this country.
Deb, you should apply for a job at the White House. You'd fit right in.

I dont think the white house would want my advice (Magnolia see what I did with the "c"...That ones for you)....but if you want to pass along my wall idea.. thanks.....I am sure they could use it......

Deb, it sounds like you get your "facts" from the same place as everyone else on capitol hill. You obviously like the sound of your own voice so you make up a "fact" and then ramble on about it until you believe it and then try to get everyone else to believe it. I see no fact in your ramblings.

It was pretty stupid to set up this program in the first place. The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing in this administration. Didn't they think to check with white house counsel on this one? utter mismanagement of the executive branch of gov't, this is chaos, they seem confused, no one is on the same page. They find ways to screw up in anything they touch foreign affairs or domestic. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is becoming their expertise. Some heads will need to roll, not now but in the next 3-6 mos. this ineptitude can't continue. Everyone is off message Napolitano (complete idiot)Hillary, Sebelius, (sorry to single out the women but they come to mind first, there are many other examples), Geithner although he's improved, Biden will always be confused and say something stupid there's no hope there, he acts like he has dementia. All of them have had more than one incident of completely contradicting Obama. The wheels are coming off 7 mos. in.

Look, I know that Republicans are fuming over the negative attacks of the past 5 yeatrs. But look, invading a country that was not an immediate threat, spying, demanding libraries collect data, torturing, rendition, etc. are really a lot more important that some e-mails. How about the fact that in 2000, we had a budget surplus, that they reversed in 8 short years. Where was the outrage of these phonies when all of that was going on.

The outrage is in quadrupling an already high deficit. This spending is absurd, Obama cut something, just cut one program show some courage. He continually caves to the far left and that is going to be his downfall. The country, in general is not even close to Pelosi's radical views. Is that the legacy Obama and "kate" want for our children? The blame Bush thing is getting old, Obama owns this now and has to be a big boy about it, or step down if he can't handle it. Dude, have you ever heard of spending CUTS...

For the ones talking about walls,,,sure a good idea! It would keep out illegals as well as darn Yankees with their bleeding heart liberal/socialist ideas. We could keep our petroleum! Maybe you should look up how much tax money comes out of this redneck hillbilly state to support all those gimmee gimmee liberal programs. So yes, I agree. I will cling to my Bible and my gun behind that wall and make it just fine. wanna bet that when the shinola hits the proverbial fan that I will still have dinner on the table while you are standing in line at the back of a Texas truck waiting for a handout? and stotts, feel free to move north any time if you are not happy here.For the time being , it is still a free country.

If I'm not correct, isn't it Texas that has one of the best economies right now? Not you nut jobs in "Indy". Northern bigots are just as bad as Southern ones. Little Miss DEB is an absolute imbecile, who has nothing to offer but trash talk. If you really had a serious point to make, DEB, speak now. Ignorance is bliss - I could bet my bottom dollar you've never even been south of the Mason Dixon line. Oh, I forgot - you are an idiot. The Mason Dixon line is the established East-West divide of the North and South. I'm sorry, you probably don't know your directions. Oh well, I tried.

Somebody had to take care of Saddam sooner or later Cigi. Sure wasn't going to be Clinton was it? He let one Bin Laden pass by and look where that got us. Of course the W.H was/is keeping a list but it's always ok if the Dums go after its citizens...

As soon as we are done investigating the good senators involvement in the bush era crimes against americans and humanity, he gets out of prison, gets reelected to the senate then I think we could start listening to him. What I would rather see is us build a wall around the whole white trash state he represents.
------------------------
This "white trash state" as you call it still retains the status of a sovereign nation. It flies the Texas flag at the same level as the United States flag. You must be from Chicago or one of those states where the biggest cash crop is crystal meth. Do you have all of your teeth? I would call you an idiot, but I respect idiots too much to denegrate them.

What difference does it make what Cornyn's motives are? The very idea of setting up a WH snitch line is ridiculous. What did the WH plan to do with the tips it got anyway? Was the WH planning to specifically address every crazy right-wing claim being propagated on blogs and in emails? If not, what was the point of gathering tips in the first place? Moreover, anyone who believes the "Obama is a muslim terrorist" type of propaganda certainly isn't going to change his/her mind when the WH tries to counter such accusations. This was just a very, very bad idea which does nothing but provide fodder for those who believe the government is collecting data on anyone who opposes its initiatives. I don't know why anyone (even the most ardent Obama supporter) would try to defend this. The Bush administration's abuses of power certainly don't justify the Obama admin's attempts to do likewise.

Has anyone looked at what Cornyn requires you to fill in when you send him an email? Most people are happy with your zip code to make sure they are your representative. Cornyn requires your street and city address and email address and asks for your telephone number. I doubt greatly that all this information is erased as soon as your message is read.
I seriously think that the reason Cornyn is so excited about the WH "collecting" emails for some nefarious purpose is that he is projecting from his own behavior.